Two Members of President's Extended Family Were Turned Away From the Shuttered Cliff House, a San Francisco Tourist Spot

SAN FRANCISCO—The government shutdown is beginning to ensnare a lot of people and businesses who didn't think it had anything to do with them.

On Wednesday, a random canvassing of spurned visitors outside the Cliff House—a tourist spot perched above the Pacific Ocean at the city's western edge—revealed that even those related to President Barack Obama aren't immune. Two members of the president's extended family were denied entry to the historic dining establishment, which is privately operated but has been ordered to close because it is on national park land.

Virginia Goeldner, 78 years old, Mr. Obama's maternal great aunt, and Teresa Berkebile, 49, his maternal second cousin, tried to enter the front door to the restaurant but found it locked. A sign affixed to the window read: "Because of the federal government shutdown, this National Park Service facility is closed."

"We need to get this opened up now," Ms. Berkebile, a self-employed businesswoman from Madera, Calif., said as she and her aunt, visiting from Maumelle, Ark., sought a place to eat lunch while sightseeing. "I wanted to show her around on the California coast."

But Ms. Goeldner, who is retired, was quick to defend one person: her great nephew, whose 2008 inauguration she attended. "I don't want to hear any Obama jokes," she said.

More seriously, Ms. Goeldner said the legislative impasse that led to the shutdown of federal facilities nationwide, including here in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, showed the limits of Mr. Obama's power.

"Wouldn't we want to think he has more control than he does?" Ms. Goeldner asked. "It's sad, really."

As the women spoke, other visitors—many toting cameras—also showed disappointment as they approached the landmark white building, which has stood here for 114 years. "It shouldn't be closed, because it's a perfect day," 45-year-old Tom Santo, a self-employed entrepreneur from Benicia, Calif., said as he and his wife, Jean, stopped hoping to have lunch on a brilliant fall day. "It's just a shame."

Harder hit are the 170 employees of the Cliff House's three dining rooms, who were indefinitely furloughed effective Wednesday. The Cliff House's owners, who are park service concessionaires, had reopened Monday after a four-day shutdown, in defiance of the government, but parks officials ordered them to close again.

Although the management is paying most of the workers with accrued vacation pay for now, Ricardo Nunez, 38, a cook, said he and his brother, Luis, 36, also a cook there, would probably have to cancel a planned trip to their native Mexico in December as a result: "We have a house and we have to pay a mortgage."

Kevin Weber, executive chef of the Cliff House, said the vacation pay would be given out as long as it lasts, but that the restaurant doesn't have unlimited resources. The restaurant is racking up losses for unsold meals: It normally serves about 1,000 lunches a day.

The Obama relatives, meanwhile, say they feel sorry for the workers, and everyone else affected by the shutdown. As they prepared to walk down along the beachfront highway to another eatery still open, they were asked what advice they would give to their most famous family member.

"Keep your chin up," said Ms. Berkebile, "and do what you have to do."

The Federal Government is totally out of control when it does things like close the Cliff House. While we were minding our own business on main street Washington was getting into areas they could only hurt. And they don't even realize how the Federal Government is destroying things because all they think about is how much they can control us.

The restaurant is closed because Obama has ordered it closed and for no other reason. He has far more power in this matter than he should. This is an excellent case to privatize the ownership or at least hand it off to the state. Why on earth should the federal government own that?

They don't look like the relatives Obama does accord favors. He has several relatives he brings to events---there are pics (not easy to find). The uncle and auntie who are in USA illegally and have collected taxpayer paid goodies for decades--those folks get the favors.

This article doesn't even try to trace the alleged relationship these ladies claim they have. Maybe they are fakes!

""Wouldn't we want to think he has more control than he does?" Ms. Goeldner asked. "It's sad, really.""

NO, we wouldn't want to think a president should have even more control, let alone this President.That is, unless you think the Constitution needs burned and a dictator installed.Hmmm, it appears the rotten apple falls even closer to the tree.

It's news because it shows how petty the government is. The Cliff House doesn't cause the government to spend money so it should never have closed. Obama is simply trying to pressure citizens into ending the slowdown so that he can continue wasting money. This is an important story!

Well! this just won't do! We must have it opened immediately! Who cares that the vets are blocked and that all the military cemeteries are closed...we can't stand for this! Get Michelle on the horn right now!!!!

There are a lot of other options to eat near the Cliff House, and better ones. The sad thing is the Cooks from Mexico have a mortgage and can't afford to send more money back to Mexico, hum, maybe plan for a rainy day?

The Obama administration is shameless - closing the WWII Memorial while allowing the Latino protest/ demonstration/ rally on the National Mall."Unlike the World II veterans in wheelchairs who had to storm the barricades erected around their memorial last week, pro-amnesty supporters met little police resistance at first. A single National Park Service ranger wandered about the rally, but left after the Washington Times asked why she was called into work.

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